Former paramedic gets probation on child porn charges

A former Collier County paramedic charged with having child pornography on his home computer received five years’ probation Wednesday.

Douglas James Roberts, 37, pleaded no contest in Collier Circuit Court to nine felony charges.

Roberts didn’t admit to having the pornographic images that investigators said they found by serving a search warrant to examine his computer. He was arrested Oct. 13 after a relative notified authorities.

Circuit Judge Cynthia Ellis formally convicted Roberts of all nine counts. He had faced up to five years in prison on each. Assistant State Attorney Steve Maresca said he agreed to only probation because state sentencing guidelines didn’t “score” Roberts to mandatory jail or prison time.

Roberts’ attorney, Jerry Berry, conferred with his client in court and said neither would comment on the plea or the facts of the case.

Roberts, of 1291 Ninth St. S.W., Golden Gate, was a paramedic for Collier County Emergency Medical Services when he was arrested.

“I resigned in good standing,” Roberts said in court.

Roberts’ wife had thrown him out of their house after she discovered a Web site from which her husband had accessed child pornography, according to court records.

She found the address, pulled up the site, and discovered it contained the pornographic images. She then told her husband to stay away from their children, a 6-year-old son and a 3-month-old daughter, and to move out.

Afterward, Roberts confided in his brother, who alerted the rest of the family to keep their children away from him. Roberts’ brother then turned him in to authorities, who obtained a search warrant, seized his computer and found the images on the hard drive, according to court records.

Roberts told his brother he’d been looking at child porn about twice a week for five years, according to court records. When his brother informed him he’d told the rest of the family to keep their kids away from him, Roberts cried and said he had never touched a child.

Roberts plans to serve his probation in Illinois, Berry said. Under the terms of the plea, he must report his whereabouts on the state’s Megan’s Law Web site for sexual offenders. He also must complete counseling, which he already has begun, Berry said.

Despite the nature of his conviction, Roberts still can have contact with children because there wasn’t an identifiable victim in the case, Berry said.

Maresca asked Roberts in court if he could fulfill all the terms of sex offender probation. Roberts said he could.

“You understand, if you mess up, you go to prison?” Maresca asked.

“Yes,” Roberts said.

Roberts also must pay about $1,500 in court-related costs.

He was released from the county jail on a $90,000 bond.

Jamie Sarbaugh, spokeswoman for Collier Emergency Management, confirmed he had resigned from EMS with no major personnel problems in his file. But EMS was aware of the criminal case, she said.